The Highlanders will be reliant on their core group of players to control the game.
After a dominant performance in their semifinal against the University Huskies, the Highlanders will be full of confidence.
Hayley Cox, Annabelle Schneideman and capitan Maddie Peel will be key players for the Highlanders through the centre of the park.
Coach Ben Varkarlis relies on these three to maintain possession and shut down any opportunities the Taieri Tigers may create.
After taking the hard road to the final, the Tigers will have a chip on their shoulder.
Despite being unable to put the game to bed in regulation during both their semifinal and elimination final, the Tigers will have confidence in their goalkeeper, Alisha Horne, should the game go to a penalty shootout.
The Tigers will lean on the maturity and knowledge of key playmaker Erin Doleman to guide them through their first final in several years.
Sophie Gray, Louise Nicolson, and Bex Clementson will be Doleman’s key support players as the Tigers look to put the Highlanders under pressure from the first whistle.
The Taieri Tuataras will head in as favourites against the University Whales in the men’s premier final today.
Competition top goal scorer James Nicolson will be looking to add to his 28 goals for the season and lead the Tuataras from the front.
Having dominated the competition from the beginning, the Tuataras will look to seal the deal, leaning on the experience of the Ward brothers.
With Finn having recently returned from a stint playing in Europe and younger brother Patrick having been away earlier in the season making his debut for the Black Sticks, Tuataras player-coach Jordan Ward will be pleased to have his brothers back alongside him in the final.
The Tuataras will not be the only side leaning on Black Sticks experience to guide them through the pressures of a final.
The University Whales will look to Benji Culhane to steady the ship as the attacking prowess of the Tuataras will look to put the Whales’ defence under considerable pressure.
Whales top goal scorer Jakob Bell-Kake will need to be clinical in the attacking circle to add to his 12 goals for the season.
A real threat from the top of an attacking penalty corner, the Tuataras will need to minimise the opportunities they give Bell-Kake.
By Grace Milne
